David R. Sands

SANDS: Exhibition with Ashley to aid school program

Maurice Ashley, the first black American grandmaster and a well-known commentator on ESPN and a host of national news programs, will conduct a 30-board simultaneous exhibition at the U.S. Chess Center downtown on Oct. 11.

October 4, 2011

SANDS: Reaching for peace through a game of war

Because the object of the game is to destroy your opponent's army and kill his king, it's always been a little bit odd that chess matches long have been organized to improve understanding and promote fellow feeling between rival schools, cities and nations.

September 27, 2011

Hasner tops Times poll as choice to face Nelson in 2012

Former Florida Republican state House Majority Leader Adam Hasner has narrowly won a poll of state conservatives meeting in Orlando, giving his campaign fresh momentum in the tight contest for the right to take on Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson next year.

September 23, 2011

SANDS: Svidler KOs Grischuk, wins World Cup crown

In what likely will prove a crowd-pleasing triumph, Russian GM Peter Svidler edged compatriot GM Alexander Grischuk 2 1/2-1 1/2 to win the FIDE World Cup knockout tournament Monday in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia.

September 20, 2011

SANDS: ‘Deflection sacrifice’: Old theme, new use

The concept of the "deflection sacrifice" is relatively easy to grasp: If a piece or a pawn is carrying out a key defensive chore, whether it's preventing mate or blocking a key pawn advance, it often is worthwhile sacrificing material to draw (or deflect) the defender from his post.

September 13, 2011

SANDS: Virginian makes Most of chances in Atlantic

There's no thrill quite like beating your first grandmaster. So I'm told. Virginia expert Eric Most can offer a firsthand account of the experience in the wake of his stunning shared first place in last month's 43rd annual Atlantic Open downtown.

September 5, 2011

SANDS: Lapshun, Most star in upset-filled Atlantic

New York IM Yury Lapshun weathered a hurricane and navigated a shoal-filled, upset-laden Atlantic Open to take the city's biggest summer tournament on tiebreaks over Virginia expert Eric Most on Sunday, played despite the elements at the event's traditional site, the Westin Washington Hotel downtown. Lapshun and Most were the only two undefeated players in the Open section, drawing their final-round game to finish at 4 1/2- 1/2, a half-point ahead of veteran Connecticut GM Sergey Kudrin.

August 30, 2011

Pataki passes on 2012 race

After flirting with a late entry into the 2012 Republican presidential sweepstakes, former New York Gov. George Pataki said Friday he wil not seek the nomination.

August 26, 2011

SANDS: Marking the centenary of a cerebral champ

He boasted a record and a resume as impressive as anyone who ever played the game, but it always seemed that three-time world champion Mikhail Botvinnik was more admired than loved by chess players around the world.

August 23, 2011

SANDS: Lenderman last man standing in U.S. Open

He didn't finish in the money, but Boston IM Marc Esserman had a major say in the outcome of last week's 112th U.S. Open in Orlando, Fla., the nation's premier open event, won in a sudden-death playoff by young New York GM Aleksandr Lenderman over fellow GM Alejandro Ramirez.

August 16, 2011

SANDS: U.S. youths in action at home and abroad

School's out for the summer, but some of the country's best young chess players aren't exactly kicking back and taking it easy. Florida GM Ray Robson, the reigning U.S. junior champ, is in the thick of the fight for the world junior title, being contested in Chennai, India. The 16-year-old Robson, seeded sixth, started strongly with two wins and a draw before dropping a point to Russian IM Aleksey Goganov. Play continues through the end of this week.

August 9, 2011

SANDS: Kramnik, Carlsen are both hot in July events

Two of the world's best lived up to their billing as former world champion Vladimir Kramnik of Russia and Norwegian star (and perhaps future world champion) Magnus Carlsen turned in dominating performances in two recent high-powered events in Europe.

August 2, 2011

SANDS: U.S.’s Seirawan shines in world team matches

Some of the top stars of the game are in action in events around the globe this week, but the best performance could be that turned in by a player who hasn't been a factor on the world stage for more than a decade.

July 26, 2011

SANDS: Shen edges Bodek for Cadet Championship

The University of Maryland at Baltimore County chess powerhouse has another strong recruit in the pipeline. New Jersey junior master Arthur Shen is the new U.S. cadet champion, edging New York master Michael Bodek on tiebreaks last week at the invitational tournament in Crossville, Tenn., for the top American players younger than 16 last week. Shen, whose elder brother Victor participated in the event two years ago, wins a full ride to UMBC for his victory.

July 19, 2011

SANDS: Kamsky rules World, winning blitz playoff

First the U.S., now the world. With 2 1/2 points in the final three rounds, reigning U.S. national champion Gata Kamsky surged into a tie for first with English GM Michael Adams in the 39th annual World Open that wrapped up in Philadelphia last week. The New York GM then won a blitz playoff to snag bragging honors as the two former top-five grandmasters shared the $28,800 first prize.

July 15, 2011

SANDS: Tourney win is return to form for Morozevich

In a welcome return to form for one of the world's most dynamic players, Russian GM Alexander Morozevich last month won the Russian Higher League Championship in Taganrog, Russia, earning a slot in the national championships to be held next month.

July 5, 2011

SANDS: Juniors, seniors mix it up crazily at the board

One more great thing about chess is that one can play the game irrationally at any age. Today's wild and woolly games come from the opposite ends of the chronological spectrum: a crazy back-and-forth affair from the recent Virginia State Senior Championship in Alexandria and an even more bizarre selection from the just-concluded U.S. Junior Championship in St. Louis, a game that featured seven passed pawns and six queens.

June 28, 2011

Key GOP lawmaker slams administration labor plan

The chairman of the House Education and the Workforce Committee harshly attacked on Tuesday proposed new rules from the National Labor Relations Board designed to drastically shorten the period workers have to consider a vote to join a union.

June 21, 2011

SANDS: Recapping Reshevsky’s victories 38 years apart

He long has labored under the reputation as a cautious counterpuncher, a defensive specialist, so the 100th anniversary of the birth of Samuel Reshevsky, one of the greatest American players of all time, hasn't gotten the attention it should.